


Meaning of Life

by xtakachin



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Fluff and Angst, M/M, Yaoi, midotaka - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-19
Updated: 2015-04-19
Packaged: 2018-03-24 20:48:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3783868
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xtakachin/pseuds/xtakachin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Midorima is an ex psychology student obsessed with over analyzing the world around him.</p><p>Takao is a student who seems uninterested in almost everything around him.</p><p>When the two meet up for a tutoring session they find themselves caught in a series of bizarre events.</p><p>Are these events the result of friendship? Love? Or maybe, they're the result of life itself.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Meaning of Life

January 12th, 2015

“There's a certain feeling for cold days. A feeling that everyone has experienced once but no one has a word for. The cold nips at your skin, and the gray-scale world leaves a bitter taste in your mouth. You look out the window and suddenly you're unable to tell the gray filter of the world from the feeling in your stomach. You find yourself thinking, 'It'll be a bad day', but in reality it's on these days that you feel the most content. The world around you is alive but silent all at the same time. Wrapped in your large scarf, your thoughts are the only companion you need. It's only on cold days where the world finds the real beauty in being alone, in taking time to just get lost in yourself and your thoughts. It isn't nostalgia or anything of the sort, there is no concrete word to describe this feeling. The best I can come up with is human nature.” 

Midorima quickly wrote the words in his notebook, scribbling the letters messily as to preserve the thought in perfect tune with his memory. His eyes flashed briefly outside the bus window from time to time as he wrote, catching quick glimpses of the snow as it stuck to the window. When he was finished writing, he placed his pen in bag and shoved the notebook in next. He let out a content sigh and watched the world pass by through the window. There was something about the world that appealed to him, about the way people behaved – no – about the way the world worked as a whole. He had begun to major in psychology in university but found himself dissatisfied with the answers he received. Even now he would still find humor in what he was taught. 

“This part of the brain does this” and “Without this a person can't be that”, they were all laughable to Midorima. He himself knew nothing could compare to science, and that the psychologists and scientists were probably more right than he'd ever be, but still, a gnawing feeling always got to him. The day came when he realized that the best way to learn about the world was to experience it. He dropped out of the course not long after. Out of class and a future career, he switched to tutoring as a quick way for money. 

Midorima broke out of his thoughts and looked away from the window towards the front of the bus. The bright letters that flashed across the screen above the driver signaled Midorima's stop was next. He gathered his belongings and prepared himself to get off. 

When the lettering changed on the screen, he quickly stood up and pulled down on the rope hanging above him. The driver's dark eyes flashed quickly to him using the mirror before the bus came to a slow stop. 

“Thank you.” Midorima bowed his head slightly at the driver who only grunted back. 

Midorima felt a gust of wind along his back as the bus made a hasty departure. He fixed the loose strands of his green hair and pulled his coat closer as the snow mixed wind sent a chill down his spine. Goosebumps rose on his arms despite the layers he was wearing. 

The cold prompted him to check the address he had written down on a sticky note. All the street signs nearby indicated that he was in the right spot. He checked the time on the sticky note as well and looked at his phone only to confirm that it was right. 

The street was empty aside from a young boy, no older than Midorima, who stood leaning against a wall. The snow fell on his bare head, melting quickly as it made contact with his dark hair. He wore nothing but a sweater, jeans, and old sneakers to combat the cold. 

Midorima licked his lips nervously before making his way over to the boy. 

“Takao Kazunari?” Midorima breathed, a mix of nervousness and unfamiliarity. 

The boy quickly looked up and exhaled, a large white cloud escaped from his mouth. Damn it was cold. His cheeks and nose were flushed a slight pink and the tiny hairs along his neck stood on edge from the raising goosebumps. The expression on his face was unreadable, despite this he nodded. A signal that prompted Midorima back into his comfort zone. 

 

“I'm Midorima Shintarou, I got a call that there was someone here who needed a tutor,” he checked Takao's expression again to find no change and continued after a slight pause, “I spoke to a female on the phone, I suppose it was your mother. She told me to meet you here so I was very unsure, but I'm glad you came.” Midorima flashed a soft smile, his teeth barely exposed. His eyes crinkled slightly and he held out his hand for Takao to shake. 

Takao stared at Midorima's hand for a moment before removing his hand from his pocket. He straightened out the balled up fist and shook Midorima's hand quickly. 

“Let's just hurry this up so you can go.” His voice shook but remained serious. 

The air became awkward and Midorima's mouth dipped down a bit with surprise. After clearing his throat he nodded and motioned Takao to lead the way. Following only a step or two behind, Midorima observed the buildings around him. 

He hadn't noticed when he first got off the bus but he saw it clearly now. Everything was old. The streets, the buildings, the feeling, it was old. Not an antique feel, but the feeling of a rundown neighborhood. There were a few buildings that were tall but nothing compared to that of Tokyo. They slightly towered over him but the eroding brick exteriors only gave him the impression of the building crumbling in the near future. The sidewalk was stained, splotches of blacks and browns littered the floor, creating a trail to no where. 

The sound of the key turning in the lock drew Midorima's attention away from architecture and back to Takao. 

Takao cleared his throat and pushed the door open a tiny bit before sighing and opening it all the way. The room was completely normal compared to the town's view. 

The room was empty except for two chairs and a small coffee table in the dining room, the immediate room off to the left from the door. Straight in front of the entrance was the living room. There was no furniture in the living room, the only thing in the entire room was a laptop placed directly in the center of the floor and a small cushion that was placed next to it. 

As Takao led Midorima into the room they passed the kitchen on the immediate right side of the entrance. A pile of dirty dishes rose out from the sink and a few empty ramen bowls sat along the counter top. Midorima eyed the mess then focused his eyes back on Takao who led him all the way into the living room. He motioned for Midorima to sit on the floor. Midorima nodded his head slightly and took the cushion that Takao was offering as he sat down. 

“This is a..nice little apartment.” Midorima said timidly. 

Takao shrugged off his sweater revealing a plain white shirt underneath. He sat down and folded his legs, his eyes locked on Midorima. 

“It is, isn't it.” He smiled slightly as he spoke. 

Midorima was unsure if it was a sincere smile or one that was forced to ease the awkward tension. He was about to open his mouth to speak when Takao cut him off. 

“Look,” he confessed, “I'm usually not like this. I feel really off today, like something's wrong but I can't put my finger on it. I'm honestly thankful that you came out to help me but I don't have any wish to study today. I'm sorry.” Takao lowered his body in a bow before slowly raising himself back up. His eyes were lowered towards the floor, shamefully avoiding Midorima's gaze. 

“I understand,” Midorima muttered, “It's probably the cold.” 

“I'm really sorry,” Takao whispered, “Feel free to leave. I won't pay much attention if you stayed and taught.” 

“Tomorrow then?” Midorima's voice raised a pitch both from the surprise of being kicked out and the confusion of the situation. 

Takao nodded, his eyes betraying the small smile on his lips.

 

January 22nd , 2015

 

The following days passed by in a blur, Midorima spent his days going back and forth between Takao's tiny apartment and his apartment in Tokyo. He would sit outside the bus stop daily, his skin soaking up both the warmth of the sun and feeling the bite of the cold on his bare face. 

Taking note of the weather was the number one way he passed by the time that it took for the bus to arrive between stops. The weather was still cold, but the snow had begun to melt. The sun had replaced the gray skies giving off an early spring vibe despite the occasional gusts of cold air. The air was so crisp that when he inhaled he felt a pang of refreshment regardless of the slight burn the icy air left along the sides of his throat. 

The weather in a lot of ways related to his sudden relationship with Takao. Things were the same but slightly different each day. 

The memory of the second time he met Takao suddenly came into his mind. 

They sat in the empty living room, the white walls reflecting the natural light from the one window in the room. Midorima sat cross legged while Takao sat relaxed, his legs outstretched in front of him. Midorima attempted to begin the lessons by asking what it was that Takao needed tutoring in specifically. Math and English. Not so bad, he was fairly good in those subjects and had no problem tutoring Takao in them. He tutored him for the allotted time slot of three hours, when the session was done they exchanged goodbyes and he left right after. 

What caught him off guard about the whole experience was what he saw as he left the apartment. As he turned to close the door behind him, he had caught a glimpse of Takao throwing out the sheet of notes he had taken during the session. 

The memory had stuck with him through the sessions although he only caught Takao doing it once again. Every time they would write notes during their meetings a bitter feeling would rise in his throat and he could never pinpoint why. 

Midorima sat quietly on the bus, pushing the memory aside for a more peaceful ride. When the bus reached the tiny rundown area, he quickly stood up and got off. As usual, before departing he nodded his thanks towards the grumpy bus driver who sped off as soon as the doors closed behind Midorima. By this point in time Midorima had memorized the way to Takao's apartment and followed the trail of stains on the sidewalk that he once thought led to nowhere in particular. Follwing the trail to its end, Midorima abruptly turned into the third apartment complex from the bus stop and walked up the stone steps towards the second floor of the building. Once he was on the second floor, he walked down the corridor until he reached the fourth door on his right. Knock knock. 

The door's knob turned on the second knock. Through the slight crack in the door Midorima could see Takao's eye appear. Midorima held up his hand as a substitute to a wave. Takao quickly opened the door and bowed his head down. 

“I didn't think you would be here for another ten minutes or so.” He admitted, his voice quiet. 

Midorima smiled, his cheeks rising, “It's better to come early than not at all, right?” 

“I guess so.” Takao let out a forced laugh. 

Midorima followed Takao into the living room once again. He stared at the back of the boy's head, his hair was wet, he most likely got out of the shower not too long ago. The water from his hair created a slight stain on the plain gray shirt he was wearing. His black sweat pants fit loosely over his waist and went a little past his ankle and over his bare feet. Midorima stared at his feet for a moment and noted the color, they were pale but no where near as pale as Takao's face. 

They found themselves in a familiar situation that they had faced almost everyday since their first meeting. Midorima sat cross-legged on the floor while Takao stretched his legs in front of him. The two looked around the room avoiding the others gaze. 

Midorima cleared his throat and broke the silence, “So today I was thinking we could work on your English.” 

Takao quickly nodded his head, “That would be the best, I don't think I could survive another day of trigonometry.” As he finished his sentence his mouth curled into a small smile and he stretched his arms in front of him and wiggled his toes, almost as if a weight was lifted off his shoulders.

Midorima watched this and couldn't stop his lips from spreading into a smile as well. At that moment he took notice of Takao's feet again. 

“Uhh...” He murmured. 

“Hmm?” Takao hummed back as he twisted his body around in a strange stretch, the sound of his hum was strangely pleasant despite being a simple expression. 

“Are you sick?” Midorima questioned, his voice a bit timid. 

Takao froze mid twist and turned back towards Midorima, his eyes were downcast and his cheeks flushed slightly from what Midorima thought was embarrassment. 

“I'm not sick. I'm just not well either, you know? “ 

“No,” Midorima frowned, “I don't know.” 

An embarrassed smile crossed Takao's lips and he raised his eyes and made eye contact for a brief second before tearing his gaze away and looking towards the wall behind Midorima's right shoulder. 

“Everyone gets sick. Not everyone gets better though, right? I'll just let fate do what it needs to do. Shouldn't that be the right thing?” Takao spoke the sentence in a low and quiet voice, Midorima had to strain his ears to catch the last part. 

Midorima sighed, “Listen, I don't know what you're talking about kid, but if you're sick you should take care of your body,” he paused, “If you can't take care of yourself at least tell your parents.” 

Any trace of emotion washed off of Takao's face. His features became solid and the light grey in his eyes seemed to harden into something darker. He pulled his legs in towards his body and straightened his back. The corners of his mouth tugged down slightly before returning to a straight line. Takao leaned towards Midorima and inhaled sharply before talking. 

“I would,” his voice was hard, serious, “but my mom died last year.” 

Midorima's heart sank. A slight warmth filled his cheeks as the shame and embarrassment hit him. Two chairs, of course. He sat completely still, his body in shock from the truth and realization he faced all at once. His mouth hung open slightly and a sense of panic filled his body. 

In attempt to save the situation he quickly responded, “I'm really sorry I said anything Takao...I-”

“And before you say anything about my dad,” Takao interrupted, “I haven't seem him in over six years.” 

Another blow. Midorima sat completely still, his mouth hung open. His mind was racing, thoughts were coming at him at full speed. But the voice on the phone was female! Who was it? Not his mother. It can't be. Where's his dad? Does he have money? What on earth is he doing here by himself?

“I can already tell what you're thinking,” Takao said, his voice was softer now, almost apologetic, “but I'm okay. The building manager was friends with my mom. Shes letting me stay here for free almost. It's up to me to pay for food and stuff like that...but I manage. The money from my mom's life insurance wasn't much but until I can do something, until I can find a job, it's enough.” 

“I'm sorry Takao.” Midorima's voice shook, he had so much to say but he could only manage to force these words out of his mouth. 

“My old teacher must have called you, I haven't went to school for a while now.” Takao's eyes fluttered back and forth between Midorima and the floor, “I should be sorry too, I should have told you before hand. Honestly I was trying to find an excuse not to have you tutor me,” he flushed, “It's a bit too expensive right now..” 

Midorima's eyes widened and a sudden jolt went through his body. He quickly uncrossed his legs and stood up. 

“I'll do it for free, don't worry! It's the least I can do. Education is so important at least let me help you in anyway I can.” The words flooded out his mouth, he waved his hands around in an equally frantic manner as his tone. 

“You don't need to do that, Midorima-” 

“Shin-chan.” Midorima corrected. 

Takao felt a wave of warmth flood his cheeks, “Shin-chan,” he muttered, “It's fine. I do like you though, if anything I'd want you to return as my friend not my tutor.” 

“I can do both.” Midorima smiled widely, his set of white teeth clearly visible. 

Takao lowered his eyes and chuckled slightly. He nodded his head in agreement not long after.

After Midorima sat back down the two continued on with their regular tutoring session. The session had started out somber and heavy but as time went on the tension dissipated. For the first time in any of their sessions Midorima felt as if Takao and him were completely comfortable with each other almost like they had been friends for a long time. 

If felt strange for Midorima though. He felt a slight tickle in his chest, and the feeling of a butterflies wings in his stomach. It had happened in almost both of the previous tutoring session Midorima faced with Takao. Unlike the previous sessions, the feeling he felt now was stronger, almost consuming. In spite of that, the feeling itself wasn't all too familiar to Midorima, but he understood its meaning regardless. A small sigh escaped his lips as the realization of his feelings and the timing of everything settled into his brain. 

The kid just told you how sad and terrible his life is, and you're feeling like this? Are you a monster? Knock it off! He thought to himself as he watched Takao's hand glide across the paper in one swift motion. 

He watched Takao's lips curl into a smile as he finished writing down his notes. Takao read back what was on the paper and spoke in a confident voice, his accent was not as noticeable but nonetheless still present. Midorima corrected him in attempt to erase the accent even a bit more. Takao puffed his cheek out in frustration, the fluttering feeling came again to Midorima. He pushed it down within him but it only came again as he listened to the way Takao hummed from his chest as he wrote his notes. The feeling was especially strong when the light hit Takao's face just right as he wrote, the light would cast long shadows from his eyelashes down his soft cheeks. 

Time passed quickly and before either of the two knew it, it was time for Midorima to leave and catch the bus home. Takao stood up first, his bones cracking, he laughed nervously, embarrassed at the state of his body. Midorima laughed with him and lifted his legs in a running motion. 

“Sure, sure Shin-chan. I'll work out to get my body in shape. Is that what you're saying?” Takao combated sarcastically, a half smile plastered on his lips. 

“No,” Midorima chuckled, “I actually meant I gotta run, I'm gonna be late. But you know, you could work out too.” Midorima pinched Takao's arm lightly. 

Takao's eyes widened slightly and his cheeks flushed a light pink. He broke his eyes away from Midorima and walked with him towards the front door. Midorima's eye caught something as he followed Takao. 

Midorima paused where he stood. He shuffled backwards a bit and leaned to the left to get a better look at what he'd seen. A calendar hung by the fridge. In bright red lettering beginning on January 1st there were numbers counting down from 300, a number per day. Midorima tilted his head, both in confusion and to confirm what he was seeing. 

“What's in 300 days?” Midorima asked lightly, his voice trailing off as he continued to stare at the calendar. 

“Nothing.” Takao answered almost instantly. His eyes held the same sad look as they had the first day Midorima met him. Midorima noticed this and dropped the subject. 

“I'll come by whenever you want me to Takao,” Midorima hesitated, “You know since I won't be coming by regularly as your tutor anymore.” 

Takao pointed at the phone on the kitchen counter, “I'll give you a call then, Shin-chan.” He smiled brightly and held his hand up in a wave. 

Midorima repeated the motion back to Takao and slipped out the front door right after. The sound of his footsteps walking towards the bus stop were silent compared to the loud beating of his heart. The sound echoed in his ears, loudly, like his heart was going to pound out of his chest. 

This isn't right. This feeling isn't right. He thought. 

But the sound of his heart, and the pit a pat of butterfly wings in his stomach could only contradict what his mind had to say. 

He's just a kid. A kid who lost his parents at that. You should be mourning for him not trying to get with him. 

His heart beat quicker.

Hell, he was your student not even 4 hours ago. 

The butterflies didn't stop. 

There's no way in hell this is going to work out Midorima, cut it out now. 

He inhaled a deep breath of the crisp air and exhaled the thoughts that crowded his mind. The sudden peace he found was refreshing. He walked towards the bus stop and sat on the bench feeling at ease with himself. Just when he thought everything was at balance again he felt a slight hiccup. No, not a hiccup – it was the loud and hard beat of his heart.

 

February 2nd, 2015 

 

Midorima walked along the streets of Tokyo, his tall legs briskly moving in no certain direction. The weather, as usual for this time of year, was still cold but the sun warmed the world enough for it to be comfortable enough to walk in. He wore a white beanie and a dark green jacket to keep himself warm in addition to the sun's help. As he walked, the black backpack he had slung over his right shoulder swung back and forth, brushing his leg with each swing. The sound the bag made as it brushed the fabric of his black pants set Midorima at ease and if anything prompted him into an unusually thoughtful feeling. 

The sky was a light blue color, the white clouds that were loosely scattered everywhere reflected off the windows of the buildings that lined every inch of the street. The clothing stores and restaurants in particular kept Midorima occupied as he walked. He eyed every clothing store, looking through their wide display windows at the casual clothing that hung loosely on the mannequins, and he admired each restaurant, gazing thoughtfully at the couples and groups of people gathered around delicious food and steaming pots of stew. 

A sigh escaped his mouth. He and Takao had talked on the phone a bit since the last time they saw each other in person but they hadn't met again since that time. Midorima almost felt that it was karma for the feelings he was starting to obtain that day. Overcome with a certain sadness at the thought, Midorima pulled out his phone and shuffled to a random song. He slid his headphones over his ears and sat on the nearest bench. He pulled the backpack in front of him and pulled out a small notebook and pen, he flipped past the last page he'd written on, clicked the pen, and pressed it to the eggshell paper.

“I find it most strange that everyone searches for love their whole life, when almost all pain stems from love. The sadness of being alone, the despair of losing someone or something, the pain of being unaccepted, and most importantly the self hatred of our perfect being. All this pain stems from love, yet we prompt ourselves to love and find love almost daily. People say 'Love will make you happy' or 'Love can fix anything'. I don't agree or disagree with these statements at all, look closely and you'll find the truth and lies in both. Love is pain, but true pain will never be love. As hard as it is to understand, I'm sure there are many people who do. It's simply another feeling that we'll never have a word for, but just as I had said about a cold day, that's just human nature.” 

Midorima closed the notebook and placed it back in his bag along with the pen. He went to remove his headphones and noticed that four songs had played while he was writing. Time flies, he thought. Only fifteen mintues had passed but the world around Midorima seemed to have become busier, as soon as he placed his headphones back in their original position around his neck, he joined the traffic on the sidewalk and continued his walk. 

It wasn't immediately after, but not long after Midorima left the bench, that he realized a familiar face – or hairstyle – in the crowd. 

“Excuse me.” he said countless times as he pushed his way forward through the crowd. 

After fighting his way through the bustling crowd, Midorima reached the familiar figure and tapped their shoulder anxiously. 

Takao spun around, his eyes wide with surprise,”Oh!” 

A large smile tugged at his lips, “Shin-chan, what are you doing here?” His voice was filled with excitement, Midorima's heart skipped a beat at the happy tone he'd never clearly heard before in Takao's voice. 

Before answering Midorima pulled Takao out of the crowd and towards the wall of the nearest department store. He answered Takao in a sarcastic voice, a cheap attempt to supress the rising excitement he felt, “That's exactly what I should be asking you Takao. I live here, remember?” 

Takao blinked twice his mouth held open in awe at the quick comeback, the right side of his lip curled into a devilishly handsome half smile, “You got me there, but I was actually walking back toward the bus stop to catch the next bus home. I just came down to see if there were any jobs available.” 

Midorima processed this, “The next bus won't be for a while and the stop isn't that far.” 

“Ahh...” Takao nodded his head lightly in understanding. 

“We haven't seen each other in a while, right?” 

Another nod, “I've been busy job hunting, Shin-chan. It's not that I don't like you or anything.” 

Midorima's cheeks flared, he turned his face away from Takao and inhaled sharply before exhaling slowly, “Why don't you come over and have some food? You look starved anyway.” His tone was sincere. 

Upon noticing the now fading red color in Midorima's cheeks, Takao felt a wave of heat flood his cheeks. He swallowed and nodded his head hastily in agreement while biting on his lower lip to suppress the oncoming smile. 

Pit-a-pat. 

Shut up heart. Midorima thought. 

The two walked towards Midorima's apartment. The differences between Tokyo and Takao's small town were evident in every corner and crack. Takao stared at the lights and buildings as he walked past. His eyes wide with wonder. The large buildings towered over him in a way that was unfamiliar, and the lights illuminated a world he wasn't used to seeing. He took in the crowds of people, soaking up their energy, absorbing their chatter, and drinking in the warmth of their laughter. 

By the time they had reached Midorima's apartment, Takao felt like he had been reborn. It wasn't the first time he'd been to Tokyo, despite this he always felt a sense of rebirth and amazement when seeing the city. 

Midorima turned the key in the apartment door's lock and pushed the door open with a light shove. He threw the keys on the counter a short distance from the door on the left hand side. Takao followed him in, not a step behind, already removing his shoes before entering the door. 

There wasn't much difference between Midorima's apartment and Takao's. The walls were white and the ceilings weren't too high or too low. The only difference was the immense amount of unnecessary furniture Midorima had. One two-person sofa accompanied another black sofa in the living room, they surrounded a small black coffee table that sat squarely in front of a TV. A tall lamp stood in the corner of the room, almost perfectly diagonal from the kitchen. The kitchen was almost immediately to the left of the door, just like Takao's apartment. Although it was a bit bigger they were almost the same, the only difference being the quality of the appliances. 

Midorima flipped on the light in the living room while Takao observed everything. 

“Not bad, right?” Midorima asked casually as he flipped on another light. 

“Not at all.” Takao admitted although he expected a bit more. 

“What do you want to eat?” Midorima questioned, walking back towards Takao. 

“Whatever you have.” Takao walked towards the couch in the living room and touched the leathery fabric. 

“Ramen then?” Midorima said while searching through various cupboards in his kitchen. “Mm-hm.” Takao hummed back. 

The sound of Midorima opening the ramen and grabbing a pot could be heard in the background. Takao ignored the sounds and searched around the living room. His fingers slid across the surfaces of all the furniture in the room. The cold touch of the lamp, the smooth feeling of the leather, the gritty feeling of the coffee table. 

As he made his was around the room he noticed a shelf with books near the TV. He pulled each book out one by one examining the title and running his fingers across the cover. Man's Search for Meaning and How the Mind Works were titles that caught his attention particularly. Takao's eyes scanned the books and then stole a glance of Midorima working hard in the kitchen. 

He continued to look through the books, pulling out titles mostly related to psychology. Occasionally he pulled out a title he recognized but it rarely happened. As he reached the end of the shelf he pulled out a small book, there was no title on it, but the fabric of the books binding was nothing else like the other books. It was bumpy and soft altogether. Takao flipped the book open, curious as to what it was. Photographs filled all the pages inside the book. Personal photographs.  
Takao turned towards Midorima who was still working away on the ramen. He turned back nervously towards the photo book and quickly stole a glance at a few pages. 

Midorima's graduation photo was one of the first on the page Takao had randomly flipped to. Next to it was another picture from the same day. Midorima stood next to his mother, Takao had guessed from the proud expression on her face. She clung onto the black robe Midorima was wearing while Midorima clung to a bouquet of roses. 

Takao flipped the page. 

The first picture he saw caught him off guard, leaving his eyes wide. 

Midorima sat happily with another man. Both wore tuxedos and looked fresh as ever. Takao studied the man next to Midorima. He had blonde hair and a v-shaped face. His eyes were quite large, but it was his extremely wide shoulders that caught Takao's attention. Takao stared at the picture taking it in. He shook his head and continued through the photo book. Of course he didn't want to speculate on the man's situation with Midorima, but it was hard not to when all the pictures that followed in the photo book had him in it. 

“Ramen should be ready soon.” Midorima called out from the kitchen. 

Surprised, Takao immediately shut the book and put it back on the shelf, his heart racing, “Alright, thank you.” He called back. 

“What were you doing in the living room?” Midorima asked as Takao slid into one of the the two stools along the kitchen counter. 

“Nothing.” Takao countered quickly. 

Midorima tilted his head and eyed him questioningly, “Alright, whatever you say.” He muttered. Midorima placed the bowl of ramen in front of Takao soon after. Takao stared into the bowl at the soup, still boiling with red bubbles. His stomach growled. Damn, he really was hungry. 

“Thank you for the food.” He smiled at Midorima and grabbed the chopsticks that Midorima was handing him with a quick nod of thanks. 

Midorima watched as the boy ate mouthful after mouthful of noodles quickly, too quickly. The savoring faces Takao made after every bite caused Midorima to giggle quietly to himself. He leaned on his left arm and continued to watch Takao eat silently. Every now and then Takao would look up and make eye contact, instead of looking away awkwardly, his eyes would crinkle into little crescents as he smiled, a sign he was really enjoying his food. 

“Eat slowly,” Midorima ordered, “you're going to choke if you keep going at that rate.” 

Takao shook his head in disagreement while slurping the remaining noodles from the chopsticks into his mouth. After swallowing he replied, “I won't choke. I usually eat like this when the food is really good or I'm really hungry,” he paused thoughtfully, “Right now I'm both so I have to eat at extra fast speed.” 

As if on queue, Takao finished his statement by biting his lip. His tooth pierced his lip sharply. The loud clank of the chopsticks against the glass bowl caused Takao to jump, pushing his tooth into his lip further. 

“Agh!” Takao yelled at he flinched. The red liquid dripped from his lip onto the counter. Takao placed his tongue over the wound to stop the bleeding, the rust flavor of the blood upset his stomach but he held his tongue in place. 

Midorima switched his gaze from the blood on the counter to the blood running down Takao's lip and chin. Almost instinctively he headed towards the door just past the living room, once inside his bedroom he went towards the bathroom. When he was in the bathroom he opened the medicine cabinet and pulled out the remaining bits of a thin stack of gauze. Just as quickly as he ran to the bathroom, he ran back to Takao. 

“Hold this over your lip.” He commanded, holding out the gauze for Takao to take. 

Takao listened immediately and placed the gauze over his lip loosely. 

Midorima watched him and let out an exasperated sigh, “Seriously?” He said, his tone a mixture of worry and annoyance. 

Midorima grabbed Takao's hand and held it in his for a brief second before guiding it up to the gauze that hung loosely on his lip. Midorima pressed Takao's hand firmly down on the gauze with his own. 

“If you don't apply pressure it won't stop bleeding. Don't you know that?” Midorima uttered while holding Takao's hand in place. 

Takao didn't say anything, and he didn't try to move his hand. A strange feeling came over him suddenly. Rarely, if ever, did anyone show this much concern or care for him. He felt his cheeks flush. To avoid Midorima's gaze he lowered his head slightly. 

The two sat in silence, their hands locked over Takao's lip. Both felt the slight increase in their heartbeat, the warmth flooding their cheeks, but neither said anything. Occasionally Midorima would glance at Takao and look away as Takao attempted to steal a glance at Midorima. 

After ten minutes the bleeding came to an almost complete stop, the remaining blood that periodically found its way out was swooped up by Takao's tongue almost instantly. Takao held the gauze in his hand, observing the large stains of red with a certain degree of shock. 

“I bled a lot, huh.” He muttered almost inaudibly. 

“You should be more careful, Takao,” Midorima said suddenly, his voice full of worry, “You're a kid, but you can't always be hurting yourself, got it?” 

Takao lowered his eyes, his lips pulled down slightly in a frown, “It's really weird,” he breathed, “The last person to show this much concern for me was my mom.” 

Midorima stared at him for a bit, unsure what to say, he nodded and spoke quietly, “Well I'm not your mom, but still you worry me. I'm afraid if I don't watch you every second you might end up lost in China or something.” 

Takao let out a loud laugh, “What? That's complete nonsense, Shin-chan. Really, though, I can't tell if I like when you baby me or not. Sometimes I feel like I'm not ready, but other times I really like it.

Midorima felt his heart skip a beat. Takao likes it. What is that even supposed to mean? 

“Ehh, what are you saying? I don't even baby you. In fact you should be able to take care of yourself at this point, why are you still getting hurt almost everyday?” Midorima paused for a second, “You're not still sick are you?” 

Takao shook his head, “No, I did this.” He moved his arm in a running motion and smiled widely, his cheeks rising enough to push his eyes into half moons. 

Midorima snorted, “Whatever you say.” He then eyed the gauze that Takao held balled up in his hands, “Give me those.” He reached out and took them from Takao. 

As he took the gauze from his hand their fingers brushed lightly. Neither Midorima nor Takao could deny the tiny spark that they had felt. As Midorima's fingers pulled away, Takao's eyes widened and he pulled back his hand in surprise. The spot where their fingers had met radiated with warmth even as he held his hand, balled into a fist, close to his chest. He watched as Midorima rubbed the spot their fingers had brushed with his thumb, equally filled with surprise. 

“I think I should go now.” Takao said hastily. 

Midorima nodded, still rubbing the spot with his thumb, “I think so too, you might miss your bus...” His voice trailed off. 

The two walked to the front door of the apartment and exchanged their goodbyes quickly, both still lost in thought about the sudden spark they had felt. Midorima watched as Takao walked down the apartment's corridor towards the elevator, he waved towards Midorima and was gone in a flash. Midorima waited until the beep of the elevator signaled before closing his apartment door. Before locking the door he stared once more at his hand, before rubbing the spot once again to a certain rhythm. 

Pit-a-pat. 

 

February 14th, 2015

 

The world was red and brown. Red ribbons tied onto boxes of chocolates, red roses accompanying the velvety red box of dark brown truffles, big brown bears with red ribbons, the combinations of red and brown seemed endless. 

Midorima watched as flashes of red and brown made their way past him on the street. He chuckled deeply, his hair held in place by a black beanie accompanied by a long black coat. 

You really stand out now, he mused. 

The couples flooded the streets along with Midorima who stuck out like a sore thumb as he walked alone in his almost all black attire. He walked among them regardless, and from time to time found himself admiring the strange couple looks he saw. A couple wore matching shirts of a big white bear, another went for a more classy look wearing matching dress shirts and overcoats. Just as the combinations of red and brown were endless, the amount of couple looks he saw seemed infinite. 

After a brief walk through the crowd of couples he found himself breaking away to enter the neighborhood bar. 

The bar was hidden between two buildings, it was exclusive only to those in the neighborhood, as only those who lived there could tell the difference between the bar and the rest of the buildings. A set of stairs led from the street down into a small underground alleyway. Midorima turned into the first door on his right in the alleyway and was greeted by a room of familiar faces. 

“Well well, look who it is!” A voice called out from behind the bar. 

“Aomine!” Midorima strode over, his hands in his pockets, he took one out and gave his friend a high-five, “How have you been?”

Aomine smiled brightly, “You know the usual.” his eyes trailed down the length of the bar to a few girls sitting together. They caught sight of his gaze and giggled, he winked at them in response which caused their giggles to escalate.

“What a dirty boy.” Midorima teased.

“Tsk, it's valentines day.” Aomine whined, his lips pulled together in a sort of pout, “By the way, you want your usual, right?” 

Midorima nodded, “Valentines day or not, you're just a playboy.”

“Of course,” Aomine said while obtaining a bottle of sake, “Someone as good looking as me should use it to their advantage.” He placed the bottle of sake and a small shot glass in front of Midorima and held his hands up to his face in a v-shape while stifling his rising chuckle. 

“Disgusting.” Midorima twisted his face in disapproval before laughing along with Aomine.

“But really,” Aomine placed his arms on the counter and leaned forward towards Midorima, continuing his statement in a whisper, “I think it's time you find someone new, you know get over him. What better day to do it than today?” 

The bottle of the sake met the shot glass with a loud clink, but no liquid filled the glass. Midorima sat frozen. His eyes, once fixed on the glass, were now on Aomine.

“Listen, what happened between me and Kise is history,” a short pause, “really.” He poured the sake into the glass finally, filling it up as much as possible and downing it in one go. 

“Oh?” Aomine challenged,”If that was true would you be here right now?”

“Oh, shut the hell up Aomine,” he downed another shot, “I can't just enjoy a good drink?” He smirked, “There always has to be a catch with you huh?”

Aomine shook his head in disagreement, “There isn't a catch ever. Believe me when I say you of all people can't just enjoy a drink. No sir, not you.”

The girls from the end of the bar called out for Aomine before Midorima could respond. Aomine held up his index finger signaling them he'd be right there.

“Be right back.”Aomine said, a smile creeping on his face. Midorima watched Aomine strode over to the girls, his killer smile plastered on his face.

Based on the way it was going down, Midorima could already tell that Aomine wasn't coming back anytime soon. He sighed and poured himself another shot. 

The sound of the empty glass hitting the surface of the bar top only increased the pleasure that the Midorima felt as the sake ran down his throat. His mind wasn't fixed on the taste of the drink, or on getting drunk, rather it was fixed on his past. Clank. He filled another glass full of sake and downed it without a thought. 

Aomine was probably right. He thought to himself.

Midorima suddenly remembered the first day of university.

Class was starting in less than five minutes and everyone was in their respective classrooms, except from Midorima. He found himself wandering the corridors of the university endlessly, looking for a room that seemed to be nonexistent. Finally, he came to the conclusion that none of the classroom numbers would ever match the one on his schedule. Defeated, he walked towards the exit of the hall. As he walked he checked the numbers of the rooms once again, not paying attention to what was in front of him. 

The sound of books hitting the floor brought him back into reality. He looked away from the room numbers to the surprised boy in front of him. 

“Oh!” Midorima exclaimed as he came to understand the situation, “I didn't see you there, I'm sorry let me help you with those.” 

He bent down and picked up the remaining books and papers that were scattered on the floor. The books were small but the titles caught his attention.

“Man's Search for Meaning...” He read the book title aloud to himself before questioning the boy, “This book, are you a psychology major?”

The boy grabbed the book gently from Midorima while nodding, a small smile on his plump lips, “I am. You must be one too?” He asked, his eyes full of curiosity.

“Yeah today is my first day, I'm actually a transfer student,” Midorima laughed timidly, “Oh, yeah. I'm actually a bit lost. If you can help me find my room-”

“Of course I can,” the boy's lips pulled back into a smile revealing a set of perfectly white teeth, “I'm Kise Ryouta by the way.” He took the schedule from Midorima's hand and scanned over it.

“Ryouta?” Midorima repeated, accidentally turning the repetition into a question.

“Call me Kise,” Kise said, his voice velvet soft, “It's your lucky day-” he scanned the schedule again, “Midorima. We're in the same class, follow me.”

From that point on, the two were inseparable. They went everywhere together, and spent nearly every waking moment thinking about the other. It was speculated by their peers that at one point they were even engaged. To Midorima, Kise was everything. Kise had claimed the title of “first love” in Midorima's life, and Midorima wholeheartedly believed he would keep it.

But things change. Feelings died down and their love mutually came to an end. Midorima watched as Kise packed all the things he wanted to keep out of their quaint Tokyo apartment. Unwilling to talk, he simply nodded his head when Kise asked to leave behind some books and a few pieces of furniture, and that was the way things ended between the two. Neither talked again, leaving the ends of their relationship torn, never to be tied again. Midorima was well aware of this. He pondered this thought again and again from the day he watched Kise's broad shoulders leave to the present. 

Clank. sake quickly filled the shot glass and Midorima gulped it down. 

The dim lighting in the bar seemed brighter suddenly. Midorima ignored the change and filled up another glass, swallowing all of the liquid at once. The process continued like this for a while, Midorima had long lost count of the shots he drank and soon found himself trying to pour sake out of an empty bottle. A thumping sensation began in his head and the already bright lights seemed to get even brighter. He stared at the empty sake bottle trying to measure the liquid inside. The bottle's outline was blurred and Midorima could hardly make out the letters. Squinting harder to see the bottle only caused his the pain in his temples to rise. 

Suddenly the world was spinning. Midorima closed his eyes and felt himself flying. The world around him was dark but he managed to catch the sounds of Aomine's voice just before the world faded out.

 

Outside Takao's apartment, the world was turning a light shade of orange, purple tints appeared at sporadic bursts creating the perfect sunset. Small streams of sunlight strained their way through the window. Takao sat directly in the path of these rays, his eyes closed, relaxing, absorbing the sun light that gently caressed his skin. Inhale, hold, exhale. Inhale, hold, exhale. The pattern continued rhythmically, almost as if it was second nature. 

Inhale. Hold. Exhale. 

The peaceful rhythm of his breathing was abruptly interrupted by the ringing of his phone. His eyes quickly fluttered open, his heartbeat speeding up rapidly. There was only one person who called him recently. Midorima. 

Memories of their last meeting quickly flooded into Takao's mind. The spark, the tickle in his stomach, the mysterious photographs he saw. After his short run through of memories, Takao quickly scrambled to get up and ran towards the ringing phone. He swallowed hard, silently praying that it was Midorima, and quickly checked the caller id. The thump of his heart increased as the name on the phone confirmed his wants. 

“Hello?” He answered, his voice shook, a mixture of excitement and nervousness.

“Uh, hello?” An unfamiliar voice answered back.

Huh? Takao thought to himself, his eyes wide with surprise.

“Yes, Shin-chan, is that you?” Takao half whispered, his voice still shaking.

“Oh, no this is Aomine Daiki. I'm a friend of Midorima's,” he paused, clearing his throat, “Are you busy?”

Aomine Daiki? Maybe he's the guy from the photo? Mmm...whatever. Takao's heart sank as the thoughts raced in his head.

“No, I'm not. Why?” He said bleakly, the emotion draining his from his voice.

“Oh! See well the thing is, Midorima passed out at the bar,” a low chuckle, “Luckily I was here to catch his dumb ass, but the thing is I'm working. If you could come and get him, you know bring him home, that'd be great. Both of us would owe you one if you did.”

“Ahh, I see..” Takao's voice trailed off, “Where are you exactly?”

“Wah, what a good friend, you're amazing-uh-”

“Takao.”

“You're amazing Takao,” Aomine corrected himself, “The bar doesn't have a real name but it's pretty hidden. You know the neighborhood where Midorima lives?”

Takao nodded and waited, it took him a moment before he realized he was still on the phone, “Oh, sorry, yes.”

“Okay so from there go to the shopping district about three blocks down, after you pass the big green building there should be a small opening with a set of stairs leading down. Go down those stairs and take the first door on your right. It shouldn't be locked but if it is it just means a fight broke out and we don't want the cops coming,” a small pause, a nervous laugh, “You were supposed to laugh at that. But you got it right?”

“Shopping district, green building, stairs, first door on the right.” Takao repeated back to Aomine. 

“Right, see you soon. Come quick, I'm tired of cleaning up his throw up.”

Click.

All the thoughts in Takao's head fell silent as he stared at the phone in his hand. After a few moments of staring blankly at the phone, Takao moved towards the small bathroom in his apartment and washed his face. Beads of water stuck to his face as he walked towards his bedroom to change clothes. The closet door, held up by only two of its three hinges, hung awkwardly, making it hard for Takao to reach the clothes he wanted. By the time he finally grabbed hold of his favorite red jacket, three minutes had passed. Feeling rushed suddenly, he grabbed the first pair of pants he saw and slipped into them hastily. 

It wasn't until he was running towards the bus that he realized what was happening. 

Takao...What's this? What are you doing right now? Why are you going all the way to Tokyo? For what? For Midorima? Midorima, he's all you think about lately. It's not healthy. You're not healthy. But he needs you right now, even his friend said so. Takao thought.

He needs you. His thoughts echoed. 

“He needs me..” Takao muttered quietly to himself, his thoughts slipping out of his mouth into the open. 

A slight tickle arose in his stomach suddenly, the butterflies were back. Their wings beating back and forth in his stomach, creating the feeling of nervousness and want altogether. Even when the bus had arrived and Takao had found a comfortable seat near the back, the feeling remained present. Takao doubted it would go away anytime soon, but thinking of Midorima, he almost hoped it wouldn't. 

 

The door of the bar opened slightly, Takao peeped through the crack into the small area. Dark décor and glasses were all he saw at first, but as his eyes adjusted to the dim lighting he saw the silhouettes of many people. Couples mostly. They sat together, glasses gathered between them. The sound of laughter and conversations floated around the room hitting Takao almost instantly.

“Welcome!” A voice shouted from behind the bar. 

A young man stood behind the bar. The strands of his hair took on an even deeper tint of blue from the bar lights the shone behind him. The lighting was dim but Takao could see the man was handsome. He stood tall, his shoulders square with confidence. The corners of his mouth weren't twisted into a smirk or a smile but there was something about his lips that suggested a seductive edge. 

Takao made his way towards the bar slowly, his confidence feigned in front of the man, “Hi, I'm looking for Aomine.”

“That's me.” The man said smiling widely, the smile was replaced abruptly with shock, “Wait, Takao, right?”

He nodded, relief washing over him as he realized Aomine was no where close to the man he had seen in Midorima's photobook.

Takao frowned slightly at the awkward silence, “Where's Midorima? Is he okay?” he found himself raising his voice more and more as the chatter in the bar around him increased in volume. 

Aomine scanned the bar quickly, he then whistled. The sharp sound caused Takao to flinch slightly. At the other end of the bar, the bartender looked up towards Aomine and gave a slight thumbs up. 

“Okay, this will have to be quick, but follow me.” Aomine ordered Takao as he returned the thumbs up towards the second bartender. 

Couples turned their heads in unison as they watched Aomine lead Takao towards the break room in the bar. 

“Is he old enough to be here?” One of the couples had said as they caught sight of Takao's young face. 

The break room wasn't what Takao expected. When they arrived there, he was greeted by a decent sized room that seemed exceptionally clean for a bar setting, let alone an employee break room. A set of counters, fridge, and sink lined the wall farthest from the door. A bathroom was located a little past that. In the center of the room was a small table with a box of half eaten chocolates and an unopened bag of donuts. Along the wall closest to the door was a small sofa with a figure laying groggily on it. 

Takao looked at the figure recognizing its identity right away. Warmth flooded his cheeks as he stared at Midorima, the sight of him only causing Takao's affection to rise more. 

Midorima laid on the sofa, his mouth open. Modest attempts at snores escaped his mouth. His right leg was pulled up close to his chest while the other leg lay lazily stretched out. A makeshift blanket of employee aprons covered him in an almost useless manner. 

“He looks stupid.” Takao said quietly laughing to himself. 

“Tell me about it.” Aomine said while wetting his hands at the sink. He moved over to Midorima and slapped him in the face lightly with his wet hands.

Midorima's eyes opened at once, wide with shock.

“What the hell was that for?” Midorima exclaimed, his words slurred slightly at the end. 

“Someone's here to take you home.” Aomine teased, his tone like that of a mother talking to her baby.

Unsure what Aomine was talking about, Midorima's eyes quickly darted around the room searching for this “someone”. Upon making eye contact with Takao, his body darted into an upright position. “You! You never call me. Where have you been?” Midorima yelled, angrily slurring his words.

Aomine's eyes flew back and forth between Midorima and Takao three times, his mouth hung open despite the growing smile on his lips.

“Woah, woah, woah,” Aomine's tone grew in excitement with each word, “What is going on here?” He smiled widely and eyed Takao from head to toe before switching his gaze to Midorima, his eyebrows raising with growing understanding.

“I actually just came to take you home,” Takao admitted, he pointed to Aomine before continuing, “Your friend said to come get you.” 

“Aomine, I didn't need you to call anybody for me, I can get home just fine.” Midorima sighed, his face bunching up.

“But,” A spark appeared in Aomine's eye and a smirk made its way across his face, “He's already here so let him take you home.”

Midorima stared at Aomine blankly, too drunk to read the situation properly.

Aomine simply smiled back, his smile speaking, You're welcome, on multiple levels.

A short silence fell over the room which Aomine was the first to break, “So if that's the case and you are going to take him home, I'll call a cab for you two right now,” he looked Takao in the eyes, “Make sure he gets in his house and to bed safely. Don't let him throw up in the cab either. I'm not giving you enough money to pay for that.”

Takao nodded quickly, and bowed his head “Thank you for taking care of Midorima.”

“Oh,” Aomine smiled widely again, one eyebrow raised, “Tsk, no problem.” He made his way towards the door after handing Takao a tiny stack of money, before leaving he spun around and held his hand to his forehead as if saluting the two, “Happy valentines day by the way.” A loud laugh escaped his lips and continued as he walked out the door, leaving the two alone. 

 

A pure silence loomed over the two until the cab arrived at the bar. The silence continued almost the whole cab ride home, the only sound between them was Midorima's occasional drunken laugh. When the cab arrived in front of Midorima's apartment complex, Takao paid the driver first before getting off to help Midorima out. The elevators weren't far from the entrance of the building, but Midorima's inability to stay focused on walking made the trip two times longer. Midorima leaned on Takao for support all the way from the elevator to his apartment's door. 

Once inside the apartment Takao immediately led Midorima to his bedroom where he helped Midorima gently onto the bed. 

“My head hurts like a bitch,” Midorima whined faintly, “Get me some water.”

Without hesitation, Takao went to the kitchen and returned with a small glass of water. He helped Midorima sit up and placed the glass in his hand.

“Why would you drink so much?” Takao asked, the rhetorical question had echoed around his head the whole cab ride home with Midorima and had finally managed to find a way out of his thoughts into the open. 

Midorima's lips parted from the glass, still half-full, his eyes moved from the water to Takao's. He bit his lower lip gently before answering, his words still slurred, “Why not?”

“It's not good for you,” Takao answered, his tone serious, “A drink or two, fine. But not enough to make yourself life this.” 

“Pfft,” Midorima snorted, some of the water he was drinking dripped out of his mouth, “You act like you care now but it'll stop,” his voice lowered, “It always ends.”

“I don't know what you're saying, but you should swallow before talking. You wouldn't want to choke.” A sudden flashback of what happened last time Takao was in Midorima's apartment caused Takao to rub his lip gently after speaking. 

Midorima caught sight of this and mocked Takao's actions with his own hand, “What? What's this? Do you want to kiss me? Is that it?”

Takao's face flushed bright red. Pit-a pat. He stood up abruptly, nearly knocking Midorima backwards.

“No!” He screamed, flustered, “That's not what I meant.”

“Someone who was so mean to me the first few times we met,” he slurred, “Doesn't deserve my kisses.” More water dripped out of his mouth as he puckered his lips into a fake kiss and giggled.

“Mean?” Takao frowned.

“You kicked me out, but I came back to tutor you anyway. I taught you, and you threw away the notes. I messed up in being insensitive about your parents,” His eyes locked with Takao, “but you made me fall for you anyway. So mean. Takao Kazunari is so mean.” He half cried, throwing the glass of water on the floor.

The stain of water traveled almost as quick as the blood flushed through Takao's cheeks. The rapid beating he felt in his heart before was nothing compared to this moment. The beat echoed in his ears stronger than any drum he had heard, and the knots in his stomach tightened to a point of pleasurable discomfort. His whole body shook, the butterflies had escaped from his stomach and were now within every inch of his body. 

“What are you saying,” he whispered, “Don't let yourself get this drunk again. You're just shouting nonsense.”

“Why would you do it?” Midorima asked, his voice surprisingly serious for his drunken stupor. 

“You mean throwing away the notes or kicking you out?” Takao hesitated waiting for Midorima to answer and continued when he only received a blank stare, 

“Honestly, I hadn't been to school for a long time because of my mom. Having you come over it felt like I was suddenly betraying the reasons I had stopped going in the first place. It's been a year but I still wasn't ready, I felt it the first day you came, and the second day it went away, but looking at the notes it brought back all the feelings that I-”

“Not that.” Midorima rubbed his head, “I wasn't talking about that.”

“Then what?”

“You know what.”

“I don't know.” Takao admitted although deep down he knew exactly what Midorima was hinting at. 

Midorima pointed at his chest, “Right here, whenever I'm with you. It hurts. It feels like its about to burst,” he sighed loudly and put his face in his hands, “I hate it.”

Takao didn't answer. Instead he sat down next to Midorima and patted his back lightly. A low hum rose from his chest and he continued to pat Midorima's back to the tempo of the song he was humming. A balmy atmosphere fell over the two, aside from Takao's humming, silence filled every crack of the room. Midorima listened to the song, felt the beat that Takao was creating on his back, and felt himself relax. The tension escaped his muscles and the clouds that the alcohol had created in his head began to slowly dissipate. Time passed, and Midorima found himself sleepier and sleepier as he listened to the melody that escaped Takao's chest. When Takao finally stopped, Midorima spoke, his words less slurred and his mind audibly clearer.

“That was a nice song.” He uttered almost silently.

“My mom used to hum this to me when I had a bad day or whenever I was down. It really did help.” 

A long pause between the two.

“It was over an old lover.” Midorima whispered.

“Hmm?” 

“I got drunk thinking about my ex boyfriend. It's been over for a while but I haven't been able to love since then, hell I haven't even been able to have a crush, but then you...” He stopped the rush of words coming out of his mouth with a heavy sigh.

Takao's lips parted slightly, whether from surprise or anticipation he didn't know, “Ex-boyfriend? I see.”

“I know you lost someone important to you too, way more important than any boyfriend or girlfriend or whatever. But it's hard, it's hard losing anyone important to you. I just want to forget, you know? Just the fact that he willingly left me, I'm not important to the ones I love. What good use am I?” Midorima's eyes glassed over, his voice shook as he spoke, he pushed the rising sob in him somewhere deep down in his throat with the hopes it wouldn't find its way out anytime soon.

“Don't say that,” Takao's voice trembled along with Midorima's, he saw the tears welling up in Midorima's eyes and felt as if he had been punched in the gut, “I won't say it's not hard to forget, because it is. But I will say that you are worth so much more than what anyone else thinks of you. If he left willingly, he probably did it because he knew he was the one who wasn't good enough for you. Not the other way around.” He studied Midorima's features, “No, definitely not the other way around.”

“I hurt you too at first,” Midorima breathed, “I reminded you of your mom, not in a way that would heal you but in a way that hurt you.”

“I'll tell you the truth, and I want you to tell me if you've hurt me or healed me.” Takao's voice was soft yet serious, he took Midorima's hand gently in his and played with his fingers a bit before dropping his hand again to check his expression.

Midorima stared down at Takao his eyes wide with worry and curiosity. The tears that were once building up in his eyes had disappeared and his expression seemed blank. His eyes were fixed on Takao, he nodded slightly signaling Takao to speak. 

Takao cleared his throat and clasped his hands together nervously, “Well,” he started weakly, his voice trembling, “On the new year I decided I didn't want to stick around to see the next winter.” He paused checking Midorima's expression again.

Not quite grasping the situation just yet, Midorima's face remained blank.

Takao continued, “The anniversary of my mom's death is just a little before the start of winter. I can't stand winters anymore,” Tears formed in his eyes and he stuttered as he talked, attempting to fight back the sobs he felt forming, “I never wanted to see another winter again. I honestly just wanted to die. S- So, I started counting down the days I had left from 300. I marked off each day with no problem, but I suddenly stopped when I met y-you.”

Midorima watched as the boy's body shook with each gentle sob. Tears streamed down Takao's face, his sniffled and continued to speak without giving Midorima a chance to talk.

“At first I hated myself more, I felt so s-stupid for thinking about you more than I thought about my mom. I spent all my time wondering if you were gonna come o-or if you were gonna call, rather than mo-mourning for my mom...” A loud sob escaped this mouth and his hands flew up to his face, cupping his face in shame, “I'm a terrible person. B-but I still want to live t-thanks to you. It-”

Before Takao could finish his sentence, he felt two arms wrap around him, and suddenly he was pulled into a tight hug. The warmth from Midorima radiated through him, illuminating even the darkest corners of his soul. 

“Don't cry.” Midorima said gently, his voice velvet soft. The situation had been completely digested in his mind and in that moment he vowed to do whatever it took to comfort Takao. 

Midorima ran his fingers across Takao's face lightly catching the stray tears that fell. “Don't cry ever again,” he repeated, his voice pained at the sight of Takao, “I hate seeing you in pain, please,” he begged quietly, “Don't cry.”

Takao watched Midorima's features with wide, glassy eyes. Another tear escaped and tumbled hurriedly down his face. Midorima caught it with his thumb, his eyes still locked with Takao's. 

They stared at each other for what felt like an eternity, their faces slowly inching towards each other unconciously.

Midorima repeated himself one last time as his lips neared Takao's, “Never cry again.”

Their lips touched. They kissed shyly at first. Midorima pulled away after a brief second, looking at Takao's face. Takao was flushed a deep red, his eyes moved up from their lowered position to meet Midorima's. Both their eyes revealed an infusion of pain and desire. Midorima leaned in a second time, kissing Takao a bit harder, he kissed back, wrapping his arms lightly around Midorima. 

When they pulled apart Takao found himself breathless, “Shin-”

Another soft kiss cut him off.

Midorima pulled away, “Are you done crying?” He asked, his voice a bit husky.

“Midorima,” Takao said between breaths, “You're just doing this because you're drunk.”

“When I started loving you I was sober.” Midorima countered, his voice so soft it was almost inaudible.

Midorima pecked the corner of Takao's jaw and created a feather light trail of kisses to his lips. They shared another soft kiss before Takao pulled away.

“I have to go..” Takao whispered. 

Midorima scanned over Takao with his eyes, he watched as the boy took sporadic breaths, he watched the boy's blood fill his cheeks more, creating a crimson red, he watched the way his tongue gently licked the spot on his lips where Midorima had bit.

“It's late, sleep here tonight.” Midorima said, standing up and picking up the glass that was still on the floor, “You sleep in the bed and I'll sleep on the couch.”

Midorima walked past Takao before he could disagree, “Goodnight, Takao. Sleep well.”

“Shin-chan,” Takao called towards Midorima before he could leave the room, “Thank you,” he breathed, “Goodnight.” The ghost of a smile was on his lips.

A simple nod of his head was all Midorima offered back to Takao, but for the two of them it was enough. For the both of them, that nod was worth a thousand words. 

A certain silence fell over the apartment. Midorima laid on the couch staring at the ceiling in the living room, his mind only replaying his kiss with Takao. Meanwhile, Takao laid in Midorima's bed, his fingers running over his lips over and over, to the rhythm of his heart. 

Thump thump. Thump thump.

 

April 27th, 2015

 

“People say that most loves start in the spring, but look closely and you'll see that this isn't true. Love is like a flower, it blooms the best in the spring, but like the ethereal flower's life, love is infinite. In winter the flower waits in spirit, intangible to the world, waiting patiently for spring. When spring comes, the flower blooms, revealing itself and all it's beauty. Fall comes after the peak of the flower's beauty in summer. It's during fall that the world sees the death of the flower. Death. The flower doesn't see it that way, it sees it as the beginning of beauty sleep. A process of hibernation. It waits out of sight from the world during winter and returns in spring, just as beautiful as ever. Love, flowers, is this what they call spring fever?”

Midorima typed the would-be notebook entry into his phone as he sat on a park bench waiting for Takao. The world had warmed up and winter was no more. The sun shone down brightly on Midorima, bronzing his skin slowly but surely. A soft breeze rolled past the flower buds and through the light green leaves of the trees, ruffling Midorima's hair as it passed. As he reached up to fix the loose strands he heard a call from the distance.

“Shin-chan!” The light voice echoed, and Takao came running. The short sleeve shirt he wore exposed his pale arms which contrasted greatly with the black shorts he was wearing. His black hair was neatly tucked into a white beanie which only exposed his bangs.

Midorima stared at the weird combination of clothes Takao was wearing and had to let out his laugh before calling back, “Takao! What are you wearing?”

By the time Takao breathlessly reached Midorima, Midorima was already standing. 

“You're a little late, is it because of that get up?” he stifled a laugh and pointed at Takao's clothes again.

“Hey,” Takao pouted, “Mind your own fashion sense! What's up with this trench coat look in spring?” Takao grabbed hold of the beige trench coat Midorima was wearing, to Takao's surprise the fabric was light enough to pass as a sweater or cardigan. 

Midorima noted Takao's surprise with a sense of pride, “It's cool, huh? And it matches well with this white shirt, right?”

Takao cackled, “Whatever. Anyway, what are we doing? You called me out here so suddenly I thought it was an emergency, actually.”

With a quick movement, Midorima reached into the deep pocket of his coat and pulled out a folded pamphlet. Before handing it over to Takao, he unfolded it and smoothed it out with care. Takao took the smooth paper in his hands with curiosity and flipped it around to see a photo an amusement park plastered in the center of the paper.

“You're taking me to an amusement park?” he asked taken aback.

“Remember what happened the last time we met up?” Midorima nodded while posing his question.

Takao remembered back to the last time the met up in person. The two of them had went on a grocery shopping trip at the supermarket by Takao's apartment. Originally, the trip was supposed to be the opening of the amusement park, but after Midorima saw the shortage – extreme – shortage of food in Takao's fridge he forced Takao to tag along with him to the nearest store. Instead of riding rides, Takao found himself in the vegetable aisle. 

The memory of the peculiar situation should have left a bitter taste in Takao's mouth, but it didn't. Instead, he felt warmer. The memory ultimately made him feel like him and Midorima lived together, something he secretly wanted but would never openly admit. 

“Ah,” Takao said coming back to reality from the memory, “Yeah, you really owe me.”

Midorima simply nodded in agreement while chuckling, “Yeah, yeah, whatever you say Mr. Kazunari.”

“We'll ride the biggest roller coasters and go in the haunted house, right?” Well aware of the fact that Midorima didn't like roller coasters or the haunted house, a smirk crossed Takao's face. 

“Now you're being too much, kid.” Midorima commented while prompting Takao to start walking towards the amusement park with him.

Small gusts of wind brushed their skin as they walked towards the amusement park. They walked slowly, soaking up every bit of the sun's warmth and taking in every gentle caress of the wind. The walk was fair, not too long, not too short, yet they spent most of it in a thoughtful silence. Every now and then, Takao looked up towards Midorima, stealing a glance at his flawless skin. 

Upon arriving at the entrance of the amusement park Midorima and Takao headed towards the ticket booths. Midorima purchased a days-long pass for both him and Takao. They took the tickets from the cashier with a nod of thanks and observed the thin slip of paper in their hand while walking towards the turnstiles. Fireworks exploded in multiple colors on the front of the ticket, and the back offered a list of the park's featured rides. 

“Tunnel of love..” Midorima read aloud, his tone hinting.

Takao punched his shoulder lightly, “How about, The Black Death, that roller coaster sounds scary enough.”

Midorima shook his head violently, “Only if you don't want to see another day do you ride something like that.”

“Fine, but you have to pick between the haunted house or a roller coaster.” Takao's lip jutted out, “You have to at least pick one for me, okay?”

“Fine.” Midorima let out an exasperated sigh.

Takao smiled brightly and took hold of Midorima's hand, pulling him past the turnstiles and into the park.

At first glance, the amusement park seemed modest. Small rides like the teacups and the tilt-a-whirl were visible along the far right side of the park. Souvenir shops and the typical carousel were located on the left hand side. The park's modest feel was broken by the set of large roller coasters and structures that darted past the horizon line and into the sky. From their standing point, the two could see a large wooden coaster with a deep dip, a slingshot ride, and the tip of the viking ship. 

Midorima swallowed hard at the sight of these rides, “We're not going on any of those.”

“Of course we aren't,” Takao said slowly, “We've got to ride that one first.” He held up his hand, his index finger outstretched.

Following the trail created by Takao's finger, Midorima's eyes were led to a grand sized roller coaster. His eyes scanned over the coaster, a deep drop, three loops, another hill, a fair sized drop, and a double corkscrew. 

“Takao,” Midorima said, his voice shaking, “I don't even think that roller coaster follows the laws of physics.” He finished his statement while watching as the people at the top of the coaster sat in their chairs, their feet dangling. Before the ride started, he tore his eyes away, nervousness rising in him.

“If you ride it, we can do whatever you want the rest of the day.” Takao exclaimed, his voice dripping with excitement, “We can sit and watch ducks all day if that what you want. Just ride it!”

“I don't know..”

“Please.”

“I don't-”

“Please.” Takao begged, his lip pushed out in a pout. He folded his hands in front of him and shook his torso back and forth lightly.

Midorima blushed slightly, his heartbeat increasing against his will, “Fine, for you,” he agreed weakly, “But the rest of the day we're doing whatever I want.”

“Yes!” Takao cried happily, “You're the best, Shin-chan!” He reached out towards Midorima and pulled him into a quick but tight hug, which caused Midorima's blush to darken.

In no time, the pair found themselves in line at “The Black Death” just as Takao had wished. Based on the line in front of them, they were only one ride away from being the next to go. The nervous chatter of those waiting in line caused Midorima's worry to intensify.

“I really don't think I can do this.” Midorima whispered to Takao under his breath. 

Takao looked up to him with sad eyes, “If you really don't want to, I can ride alone, it's okay.”

Before Midorima could answer a loud beep sounded. The gates at the front of the line flew open and the next set of riders boarded the coaster. Midorima watched with growing worry as the people all pulled the safety bars over their head. Promptly after everyone was into their seat safely, another buzzer sounded and the set of seats left the station. 

Without notice, Takao slid his hand into Midorima's, gently pressing Midorima's hand within his own. 

“I know you're nervous, but it'll be over quick and I'll be right here, kay?” A small smile appeared on his lips, pushing his cheeks up slightly. 

Midorima ignored his actions and only swallowed hard, realizing there wasn't much time left before their turn to ride.

As if his mind was in tune with the coaster's schedule, the next set of seats arrived and the gates in front of them opened with a loud click. Midorima bit down on his lower lip and squeezed Takao's hand tighter as they passed through the gates and towards the seats.

They sat towards the middle. Takao on the right hand side and Midorima on the left. Takao was the first to pull the safety bar over himself, a confident smile on his face and his eyes gleaming with excitement. 

Midorima was more cautious, he spent a considerable amount of time fastening his seat belt to the tightest position it could be. Just as he was about to pull the safety bar over himself, he would reach down and tighten the seat belt once again. After repeating this process almost three times he finally pulled the heavy black bar over himself. An employee in black came by, pulled the bar to make sure it was locked, and quickly disappeared behind the two. 

“Breath.” Takao commanded, a smile still glued to his lips.

Midorima closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh. The butterflies in his stomach fluttered their wings nervously, causing a sense of impending doom to come over him. 

Midorima's eyes opened abruptly at the sudden buzz that echoed through the station. A click could be heard overhead as the safety locks on the cars was released. The set of seats moved slowly at first, rising towards the top of a long hill. Upon realizing the coaster was finally moving Midorima immediately shut his eyes and tightened his grip on the safety bar. 

He wasn't aware where they were in space or how long they had climbed the hill, but before the drop hit him he could tell it was oncoming based on the loud screams of the people at the front. The screams caused Midorima to open his eyes. A large drop awaited him, it was a big enough dip just looking at it from down below, but being on the ride made it even more ridiculous. Clenching the safety bar tighter, Midorima prepared for the drop. 

Finally it hit him, hard. The breath was stolen right out of him. He found himself struggling for air for a brief second, he was screaming in the next. In the seat adjacent to him, he heard laughter break out then a loud and long “Woo!” right after. 

The coaster reached the end of its painfully long drop and flowed straight into one of the three loops Midorima had saw. The people on the coaster along with Midorima let out a scream as the coaster reached the peak of the loop and went full speed into another loop.

Takao let out another shout of excitement before yelling to Midorima, “Are you having fun?” 

The third loop. 

The pressure Midorima felt on his body prevented him from answering properly, he simply let out another scream, this time through clenched teeth.

Takao responded to this by laughing. He reached his hand out towards Midorima's seat and placed his hand over Midorima's, squeezing almost as tightly as Midorima held the safety bar. 

“I've got you, it's almost over anyway!” Takao said between a laugh. 

The ride seemed to pass by quickly after that. Midorima's focus was drawn away from his fear of the ride and instead placed on the warmth of Takao's hand. Despite this, his face was still drained a ghostly white when they arrived back in the station. 

The safety bars clicked and rose up freeing them. Takao stood up first and offered his hand to Midorima who had problems standing up with his now Jello legs. 

“Never again Takao.” He said weakly to the boy as they walked in the opposite direction of the roller coaster. 

“I didn't know you could scream like that,” Takao giggled, “but you did ride a roller coaster for me, so the rest of the day I'll do whatever you want to.” 

“We're definitely taking it slow from here on out.” Midorima admitted, still shaken from his forced roller coaster ride.

Just as Midorima had said, a majority of the rest of their time at the amusement park was spent on rides that both of them enjoyed. They did everything from the bumper cars, arcade games, teacups, and mirror mazes, all the way to the swings.

The sun had long set by the time the two found themselves sitting on an empty bench by a cotton candy vendor. Takao held a small cone of blue cotton candy in his hands, he mindlessly took bites of it while watching the sky. Midorima looked towards the sky too.

Vast and dark, the sky was empty that night, not a cloud in the way. The blueish night shared its beauty with tints of purple and red that attempted to steal the show but came no where close. Every now and then a plane would make itself visible, its tiny red and yellow lights feigning the appearance of a star. The beauty of the sky, along with the coolness of night falling upon their skin made both Takao and Midorima speechless.

It was only after a long period of silence that one of them spoke.

“It's really beautiful isn't it.” Takao uttered, his tone peaceful. 

“It makes me think.” Midorima admitted.

“About what?” Takao's voice was low and thoughtful, his thoughts clearly on the same sentimental field as Midorima's. 

Midorima chuckled faintly, “Remember when I took you to that movie near the end of February?”

“Yeah, you asked me to be your boyfriend. How could I forget the look of disappointment on your face when I said no.” Takao chuckled along with Midorima.

“What about the time in march when we went to that restaurant?”

“I remember that too,” Takao said reminiscing, “You asked me the same question. I actually thought about it that time too.”

“But..” Midorima said, his tone playful.

“I said no again, I honestly wasn't ready.” Takao frowned slightly although his eyes remained as playful as Midorima's tone.

“So if I asked you again now,” Midorima hesitated, he continued, his voice extremely delicate, “What would you say?”

Takao's heart skipped a beat as he began to understand the situation. A blush set into his cheeks and he transferred his almost empty cotton candy cone between his hands in a timid manner as he spoke, “Well, you never asked me, so I wouldn't know.”

Catching on almost as quick as Takao, Midorima posed his question, “Do you want to go out with me?”

Waiting for Takao to answer, it was almost as if time froze. Sounds of the people and rides around them seemed to hush down almost instantaneously. The only sound between the two was the echo of Midorima's husky yet delicate voice as he asked his question. Around them, the bright lights seemed to dim, each burst of wacky colors seemed neutral compared to the bursts of red forming in their cheeks. And the oh so beautiful sky, watching the scene unfold under its everlasting gaze, seemed to fall silent aswell while waiting for Takao's answer. 

“Yes,” he muttered at first shyly, “Yes, I would love to.” He repeated with more confidence. Upon finishing his statement a second time, the edges of his lips twitched upwards, pulling his lips up into a wide grin that pushed up his bright red cheeks. His eyes traveled up to meet Midorima who only looked back at him with wide eyes, filled to the brim with joy.

“So it's settled then?” Midorima asked while smiling, his voice bursting at the seams with bliss, “I can finally call you mine?”

Takao let out a light laugh, his lips still twisted into a grin, “I think I was always yours.”  
As if they both knew it was coming they leaned forward and met each other in the middle. 

Their lips met each other, the soft pecks turning into feathery light kisses that left both of them breathless. Occasionally, Takao would find his lip caugh between Midorima's teeth, but before he could pull away in pain Midorima's lips were back on his, brushing any sense of pain quickly away with what felt like a soft caress. 

When they had finally pulled away from eachother, both their breathing was sporadic, their cheeks as red as humanly possible. Midorima smiled widely at the sight of Takao and held out his arms for him to enter. Without anymore prompting, Takao quickly nuzzled himself into Midorima's chest. They stayed in this position for a bit. 

Warmth radiated from every position in their embrace. Where their skin touched, the warmth was transferred immediately. Every breath Takao inhaled was exhaled into the fabric of Midorima's shirt. The warmth transferred right from the shirt straight into his heart, where he hoped it would be able to stay forever.

 

August 15th, 2015

 

Nighttime fell over Takao's small neighborhood and the world was completely pitch black, not because of the night, but because of the blindfold that Midorima had placed over his eyes. The two walked, Midorima leading, and Takao following, towards an unknown location. Takao used his reamining senses to map out where he believed he was on the map, but the crisp summer air was all that filled his lungs. 

When Midorima removed the blindfold, Takao found himself standing in an empty field, he recognized it immediately as the soccer field of his old school. 

“Woah!” He exclaimed, scanning the area, “It's been so long since I've been here. What are we doing here?'

Midorima's mouth was pulled into a soft smile, he held up his finger, and took out a jar from behind his back.

Takao's eyebrows raised in surprise, he hadn't even noticed Midorima hiding something. What he saw wasn't too typical either. Midorima held a small jar filled with tiny fireflies. One step ahead of Takao, Midorima opened the lid of the jar preventing Takao from commenting. 

The fireflies flew out instantly, freeing themselves from their glass prison. They darted around the field, illuminating the dark night sky with their soft green glow. From time to time they landed in the grass, hiding between the short blades like like raindrops. 

Speechless at the sight, Takao walked into the center of the group of fireflies and reached out to grab one with cupped hands. As he pulled his hands back towards him he opened his palms slightly, revealing a warm green glow from inside. There was no warmth specifically from the firefly, but looking at the radiating green color, Takao felt something radiate within his soul aswell.

“Shin-chan,” he whispered, letting the firefly fly free from his open palm, “What is all this?”

“Before I tell you, I want you to try to catch as many fireflies as you can and put them back in this jar.” Midorima held the jar in his right hand, his index finger running over the jar's lip in a rhythmic circle. 

“Why?”

“You'll see.” Midorima assured, his features hiding his rising sense of excitement.

Obeying his command, Takao hastily worked to catch fireflies. Avoiding the job of a lifeless bystander, Midorima joined Takao in their little firefly chase. The two had made a game out of it, seeing who could catch the most the fastest. Because of this, they spent almost an hour chasing after fireflies. They chased each zip of light that past in a sudden dart all the way until they had lost track of all the light trails.

The fireflies they had caught lit up the jar that was placed in between them as they lay on the ground facing the sky, their hands overlapping each other. 

“What was this for?” Takao asked again, he was still winded from chasing all the fireflies.

“For every firefly you caught, that's one century that I will love you.” Midorima said, his voice smooth and soft as satin.

Takao's cheeks flared, “That's silly, really.”

“No, it's not,” Midorima sat up, he leaned on one elbow while he spoke, “It's so weird how much my life has changed after meeting you. I still tutor, but I really wish I would stop. I mean, you're the only student I ever want. But even then I wouldn't want you as my student, I don't want to teach you math or science, but I want to teach you about life. I want to teach you what it feels like to wake up to breakfast in bed, or to come home from a long day and see dinner and a hot bath waiting for you. I know not everything goes perfectly, so I would want to teach you the beauty of change, of a healthy argument. I'd teach you all the ways to comfort a person through example and all the ways to love them too. All these things that I want to teach you – that I want to do with you – I would never do with anyone else, because you're the only one I want.”

Takao pondered this for a long while, “You would really want to be with me forever?”

“Of course.” Midorima answered without hesitation.

“It really is strange,” Takao chuckled garnering Midorima's utmost attention, “Eight months ago around this time we met for the first time, but look at us now. I almost feel inseparable from you. When I think about being with you, I think about the time I spent with my mom. How loved I was and how sincerely she loved me. It's weird to say, but her love and your love are the same but different in so many ways. She loved me sincerely like a mother, but your love is genuine. No one told you to love me but you do anyway, that's probably why I fell for you. Honestly, it's probably why I stopped mourning, if you loved me enough to want me to be happy, I'm sure my mom would feel the same way too. And I am happy now. I'll smile not only for her, but also for you.” 

Midorima's eyes glazed over Takao, his heart raced at the thought that Takao loved him just as much as he loved Takao. He laid back down and placed his hand gently on top of Takao's before giving it a slight squeeze.

“It's way too early to ask you to marry me, or something crazy like that.” Midorima uttered quietly.

Takao nodded, “Mmm, too early now, but I can say that the future is waiting with open arms.”

“The future is just as scary as the present, Takao. I've learned the hard way that things change unexpectedly, that things – that love – can be taken from you at any minute, it scares me to think about it.” Midorima shuddered, his voice was low and hitched slightly in the middle of his statement.

“I've learned the hard way too. But this shouldn't stop us, this shouldn't stop anyone. Life isn't perfect, there are ups and downs and things can change at a moments notice. That's why, you have to cherish every moment, don't take anything for granted. Every breath you take is a gift from the universe, giving you purpose and reason. I'll promise you here and now Midorima, from this moment until you take your last breath, and probably every moment past that, I'll be right by your side.”

“Is this your vow to love me forever?” Midorima asked, his heart pounding in tune with the universe.

“For all eternity.” Takao breathed, his voice gentle and sincere.

Midorima scooted over to Takao without saying a word. Under the dim green light of the fireflies Takao's features looked so beautiful. The shadows of his face defined every inch of bone that made up his sharp jawline, the high arch of his nose, and even his subtle cheekbones. Midorima couldn't refrain from running his fingers along the skin of Takao's face.

“All eternity? Are you sure?” Midorima whispered, his thumb making small circles in the center of Takao's cheek.

Takao exhaled softly, a slight sound of pleasure at Midorima's caress, “I'm positive.”

“It's a promise then.” Midorima breathed.

He leaned down and kissed Takao on the cheek first before creating a light trail of kisses down to his lips. Their lips stayed locked like this, their hearts synchronized, creating a rapid beat together.  
This is it. Midorima thought as he stared at Takao's perfect face, This is my forever.

 

June 6th, 2019

Excerpt from Midorima's recently published book Life from the Perspective of the Living:

“Life is an unexpected treat that will never die. Rarely, if ever, are we hopeful of receiving the better end of the things, but look at your life today, you'll see that it is rare that you don't receive it. Sure, every now a then something sad happens or life throws you a curve ball for the worst, but everyone needs a bad day to see their good days. What I'm mostly getting at is that life is so much more than we perceive it to be, so next time someone asks you what life is, don't simply answer the difference between walking the earth and death. Life is more than that, and it continues even after you die. Life is the memories you create, all the laughs you've shared, the arguments you've had, and the problems you've solved. It took me a while to understand this, in fact I didn't understand any of this until I met my husband.” 

Takao read aloud the passage from the book, his face contorted with laughter, “Midorima, this is so cheesy.”

“'Cheesy'? That's a word I should never hear coming from Mr. 'I will love you forever and always'.” Midorima countered.

“Don't mock my wedding vows.” Takao teased, his mouth hanging open with fake disbelief.

Midorima strode over to Takao, grabbing the book from his hand and holding his wrist gently, “But I know you mean it.”

Takao stared into Midorima's eyes, love and longing filling every inch of his soul, “You know it, forever and always.”

“Forever and always.” Midorima repeated, before leaning down to give Takao a hard kiss.


End file.
